Choosing a modular operating theatre manufacturer means choosing who will be accountable, over the theatre's service life, for the envelope of the most sensitive room in the hospital. Walls, doors and ceiling must provide hygiene and airtightness, integrate the building services and remain accessible for maintenance. A poor choice is paid for on site and over years of operation. Seven criteria help compare suppliers objectively.
Why does the choice of manufacturer matter so much?
The envelope of an operating theatre is not easily replaced. Once installed, it stays in service for many years, and its quality affects hygiene, airtightness, services maintenance and the ability to update the theatre. An unsuitable manufacturer can cause delays on site, airtightness defects that are hard to correct and difficulty finding compatible spare parts.
Which criteria should you use to compare manufacturers?
| Criterion | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| In-house production | Where walls and components are designed and made | The manufacturer controls quality, lead times and changes |
| References | List of completed operating theatres, with country and photographs | Shows experience on similar projects |
| Complete system | Whether it also supplies doors, ceiling, cabinets, pass-through boxes and shielding | Fewer interfaces between suppliers, airtightness easier to achieve |
| Detailed design | Who develops the details and how they coordinate with services engineers | Errors corrected on paper cost far less than errors found on site |
| Testing | Whether modules are checked before shipping | Defects are corrected at the factory, not on site |
| Installation | Who installs the system and who is accountable for it | Installation determines alignment and airtightness |
| Support and spare parts | How compatible components are obtained over the years | The theatre must stay maintainable and upgradeable |
Which questions should you ask when assessing quotes?
When assessing quotes, it is worth asking every manufacturer the same questions, so that the answers can be compared.
- Which elements of the envelope are included in the quote, and which are excluded?
- Where are walls, frames and components manufactured?
- How are outlets, monitors, control panels and cabinets integrated, and who decides their position?
- Which checks are carried out at the plant before shipping?
- Who installs the system, and how is the work coordinated with the services contractors?
- Which similar operating theatres have you delivered, and where?
- How are spare parts and support obtained after handover?
Which warning signs should make you think twice?
Some signs deserve a closer look before signing.
- Fragmented quotes: walls from one supplier, doors and ceiling from others, with nobody accountable for the junctions between them.
- Generic references: projects in non-healthcare settings presented as hospital experience.
- No information on production: it is unclear who makes the components and where.
- Silence on support: no information on spare parts and service after handover.
How do you compare different quotes?
Two quotes can only be compared if they cover the same scope of supply. Before looking at the price, it is worth building a table of the items each quote includes and excludes, and assessing the cost over the whole life of the theatre: time on site, days out of service, maintenance and future upgrades. The guide on what drives the cost of a modular operating theatre looks at each item in detail.
How does ADAM meet the criteria for choosing an operating theatre manufacturer?
ADAM S.r.l. has manufactured modular systems since 1990 and has developed the SALUS system for operating theatres and controlled-contamination environments since 2006.
- In-house production: engineering, aluminium and timber machining, assembly and testing take place at the plant in Bernate Ticino, near Milan. The process is described on the Manufacturing page.
- Complete system: through its ADAM Health division, ADAM supplies SALUS walls, medical doors including hermetic automatic sliding doors, technical ceilings with hermetic lighting and integrated laminar flow units, recessed cabinets, pass-through boxes and X-ray shielding, and integrates monitors and PACS displays into the walls.
- References: operating theatres with ADAM systems, including AMS Private Clinic in the Netherlands, Canavesano Clinic in Italy, FS Hospital in Australia, Kawali Hospital and Ihsan Hospital in Indonesia, Hôpital de Panzi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Pediatric OR project in Libya. The list is on the Projects page.
- One point of contact: consulting, budgeting, design and building ventures, with installation and testing coordinated by ADAM.
Overall, ADAM has completed over 3,000 projects in over 40 countries. To discuss an operating theatre project, contact the ADAM team.